My Five Word TL:DR Review: Love fae? Read this series

It’s as simple as that.  If you love stories of the fae and their tricksy behaviour then the Emily Wilde series created by Heather Fawcett is an absolute must read. I’ve loved every minute spent reading these three books and to be totally honest I’m sad to have reached the end of the road.  Hopefully the author will come up with some more fae tales to fill the gap left by the conclusion of this series.

With the third and final instalment Fawcett fully immerses us in the fae world.  Wendell has returned to his realm to reclaim his throne and Emily accompanies him to become his queen.  Of course, nothing can ever be that simple, which is perhaps just as well as there would then be no story to tell.  One proviso must I state before you continue.  Spoilers for the first two books may lie ahead so bear that in mind before reading on. (Although I do try to avoid spoilers for the most part).

So, Wendell and Emily return to fae, for what should be a relatively simple endeavour that eventually proves anything but.  It seems that Wendell’s (wicked) stepmother had one last trick up her sleeve and has placed a dreadful curse upon his long lost kingdom.  The only solution is too dire to consider and eventually Emily’s research leads her to conclude that the solution may lie in old stories from the past.  With this in mind she sets about to do what she does best – dig around until she uncovers something useful.

I had a lovely time with this final instalment.  It was so easy to read, the characters were once again a joy to read about and Fawcett manages to create a magical fantasy world that is as fascinating as it is dangerous.

What I really loved about this.

Well, I confess that Emily and Wendell hold a special place in my heart.  They’re a fantastic couple and I love the banter between the two.  The author manages to inject their story with romance and humour and the relationship between the two has simply gone from strength to strength.

I love the writing and the fact that Emily tells the story through her journal.  It’s definitely a style that I thoroughly enjoy and she’s managed to bring her two main characters on so well.  As you might imagine, Emily has mixed feelings about returning to the land of the fae.  Of course, the scholarly side of her is absolutely animated at the thought of all the material that will now be available for her studies but this competes with her more rational nature in that she is aware that this is a world full of danger, she will probably always be walking on a knife edge and on top of this she’s not absolutely convinced about this new version of Wendell – or more to the point the changes that she fears may come about, the losing of some of the ‘human’ traits he’s taken on board.  Wendell is totally in love with Emily, I loved the way he tries to get his own way by any means of bribery he can come up with – along with little (or actually quite grand) gestures such as a little getaway, a cottage in the real world easily accessed by a fae door.

There is a return to many of the characters from past stories, both fae and human, and this always adds an extra level of depth to the story.  And, we have a fae dog and cat – both fiercely devoted to their respective humans.  I loved these two.

On top of this the conclusion is really well handled.  Emily’s research plays out perfectly and the eventual finale is tense and satisfying.

I don’t think I have any criticisms at all.  Perhaps there was a little less Wendell in this one and maybe the start took a wee while to gather momentum but to be fair I was totally absorbed.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks.  The above is my own opinion.

My rating: 4.5 of 5 wonderfully fae stars